This Early Music Monday is about the dark side of the classical music industry behind the glam of performance photos. While it's not an Early Music specific post, all of these things are true in the EM niche as well. When I say I couldn't do this without my amazing husband, it's not just that I love him. I literally can only do this because of his financial support.
Waft her, angels, through the skies
A bit of gorgeous Handel for the end of this suffocating heat wave in Boston!
Does Weelkes get a pass?
History is rife with stories of people getting away with (sometimes actual) murder because of their "status". Meet Thomas Weelkes: composer, musician, and by all accounts a dude with issues, and decide for yourself - was his work good enough to excuse his behavior?
Karitas habundat in omnia
A bit of Hildegard for a beautiful summer morning!
A stolen drinking song...
A stolen drinking song from the 1700s and .... Luxembourg? Here's some history about our own national anthem.
Lusitano concert
I have a series of wishes for next season and one of them is to sing something by Vicente Lusitano! Wish I could have heard this incredible program!
Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen
June 16th was my last service as a full-time chorister at The Church of the Advent (stay tuned for my next adventures!). The last motet I sang? A sacred contrafacta of this gorgeous piece. It took a lot, but I somehow managed to not sing the German words.
Audite nova
Missed the concert last weekend? One of my favorite pieces was this hilarious one by Lassus about feasting on a very fat goose (Gans).
Audite nova - Lassus (Spotify)
Hear ye, hear ye!
That farmer from Eselkirchen?
He has a plump goose, a [goose noises] goose!
It has a long, plump, fat, willowy neck:
Bring the goose here!
You’ve got it? - my trusty Hans!
Shear it, pluck it, scald it, roast it, tear it, and devour it!
That is St. Martin’s bird, to whom we can’t be an enemy!
Servant Heinz, bring us some good wine and pour for us bravely;
let it all go around, and in God’s name let us drink good wine and beer
to the boiled, roasted, young goose
that it may do us no ill.
"Neapolitan" 6th chord?
The "Neapolitan 6th" chord - what is it (other than something to trip you up on theory tests) and how Neapolitan is it really??? Early Music Sources tells all about this exciting chromatic "flavor".
Natural Horn
Early horns - how exactly do they play all the notes with no valves? Check out this awesome explanation from my Handel + Haydn Society colleague Todd Williams!